Life and Death

When I was a child, my Mom used to work as a Hospice nurse. Hospice is a wonderful organization that provides in-home care for terminally ill patients by giving comfort and dignity through the uncertainties and fears of impending death. This is such a worthy cause, but as you can imagine, the emotional strain can be great on the caregivers who build relationships with patients only to watch them die.

It takes a special kind of person (like my Mom) to help people navigate through the last steps of life and then lead them by the hand into eternity. As a boy, I accompanied her to many patients’ homes, and my worldview was rocked by the reality of death. Most folks live their lives in a comfortable illusion where they consider themselves invincible until the inescapable truth of our own mortality finds them by surprise. Life looks completely different when you’re staring at death, and the knowledge that our end is near brings a perspective that can radically change a person’s worldview.

The unlikely intersection of my childish naivety and the harsh reality of death birthed in me a very unique perspective. I became fascinated by the stories and thoughts of these people who were preparing to meet their Maker and I was struck by the consistent parallels I saw played out over and over. Whether these people were young or old, black or white, rich or poor, man or woman, in the end, these discriminating details of life seemed trivial, but the things that emerged as most important seemed universal.

What are the things that will matter most to you when you're staring at death? What relationiships will you wish you would have spent more time developing? Are those your priorities now? The great philosopher Tim McGraw says "Live like you're dyin" (there's some good theology in country music)! Don't wait until the end to start living the life God has called you to live today. Life is short enough as it is.

"What am I supposed to do with my life?"

Of all the questions I’ve ever heard, I believe that this one (or some variation of it) is the most important question of all. It seems to be hardwired into us from birth to start a search for some kind of significance. Despite our vast and varied experience and cultures, we as human being as unified by a universal desire to find our purpose and a desperate need to discover our destiny.

I believe that this desire for destiny is placed within us by our Creator. In their purest form, all desires are given to us by God and He also provides a holy and perfect means for fulfilling our desires, but the world is all too eager to offer us cheap imitations that have the potential to numb our spiritual senses and ultimately poison our minds, bodies and souls. Remember in the quest to find your God-given destiny, God will never call you to do anything that would compromise your integrity. You will be tempted to take ethical short-cuts to get to where you believe God wants you to be and then convincing yourself that the ends justify the means, but God will always honor the moral high road. Keep trusting Him to lead you to the right destination and be patient (that's the part I struggle with the most).

He is in control and regardless of the details of vocation, marriage, education, and other big life decisions, God's ultimate intention for your life is for you to have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. Everything else must flow out of that. Without that relationship, we're just spinning our wheels on a path that leads nowhere.

Failure

The CNN/YouTube Republican debate is tonight and I've submitted this question along with my good buddy Abe Lincoln and video master Wes Hennings. I've always been intrigued to see how God chooses to work through the weaknesses and failures of even the most powerful leaders. Failure has become the "F Word" for many people today, because in our pride, we've become very bad at ever admitting fault or recognizing our own frailty. I want to be like the Apostle Paul who embraced his own weaknesses so that the power of Christ might rest on him. I'm hoping that our future president won't be too proud to admit his failures. Failing itself isn't the tragedy...refusing to learn from the failure or denying it ever happened are the only ways to truly fail.

A Day with Pastor Dave

If you've ever wondered what I "really" do all day, check out this video! Our church's video guru, Wes, put together this short comedy/reality video inspired by "The Office". I hope it makes you smile!

YouTube - A Day with Pastor Dave

YouTube - A Day with Pastor Dave

Check out this video to get a rare behind-the-scenes look into a day in the Willis household. I think you'll enjoy it!

The Treasure Hunt

I’ve always been a treasure hunter at heart. When I was a young boy, I would often draw up treasure maps of our yard complete with drawings of the trees, rocks and other landmarks that we would find along the familiar path to the creek that ran behind our house. Somewhere on the map, I’d place a big X where I was sure that we would find hidden treasure. I had an excellent track record of pinpointing exactly where the treasure would be, and I chalked it up to a “gift” that God must have given me. In my young mind, I had loft notions of becoming the next “Indiana Jones”…my Explorer Name would have been “Kentucky Dave”…you get the idea.
Once the map was complete, I would round up my two younger brothers and my Dad and we would head off into the wild wilderness of our subdivision in hunt of the treasure. By the time we reached the rocky banks of the tiny creek behind our home, my heart would be racing with anticipation. I could almost taste the treasure! We would search the entire vicinity around the X on our map and then finally my Dad would say,
“Why don’t you boys go look in those rocks?”
“We’ve already looked over there, Dad.”
“I know, but I’ll bet if you look again, you’ll find the treasure.”
Sure enough, every time Dad pointed us someplace, we found treasure. It was typically a Ziplock baggie filled with candy or pennies and nickels. We would dance in celebration and run all the way home to pour our booty out on the kitchen table and proudly show Mom what her brave treasure hunters had found. We then divided it up into thirds and marveled at how the treasure always seemed to divide exactly evenly between the three of us. Ah…those were the days.
I guess you could say that I was a slow learner, because it was literally years after we outgrew the treasure hunting that I finally realized the obvious-it was my Dad who was putting the treasure there all along. My own map had nothing at all to do with the location of the treasure or the treasure itself. I thought all along that it was all about my skills and my instincts, but it wasn’t about me at all. It was all about my Father, and the only reason the treasure hunt had any significance at all is because I had taken the journey with him.
Recently, I’ve re-examined this magical season from my childhood and been humbled by the obvious parallels this treasure hunt has to our own walk with our Heavenly Father. Most of us are tempted to go through life and set our own course and then take full credit for whatever spoils we earn or find along the way, but in truth, the only reason why our lives have any significance at all is that we can choose to take the journey with our Heavenly Father. He is the one who can set the perfect course for our lives and He is the one who will guide along the path and He is the one who is the treasure that we find. Sure, we think the treasures are the trinkets of wealth and comfort that we may find along the way, but those tiny blessings are completely insignificant when compared to the treasure of knowing and finding God.

My Journey of Faith

In my own spiritual journey, countless people, events, churches, songs, books, sermons and ideas have shaped my beliefs. The path that has led me to my present state has been quite an adventure. I’m still a work in progress (and always will be on this side of heaven), so I’ll use this paper as a means to outline where I’ve been, where I am and where I’m going by the grace of God.
I grew up as what I refer to as an “accidental spiritual anthropologist”. I know that seems like a strange, self-imposed title, so let me explain. My family moved around quite a bit during my formative years and each time we landed in a new location, we would start the process of finding a new church. My parents always gravitated to the places where they connected most with the people, so they never seemed overly concerned about “brand loyalty” towards a particular denomination. As a result, I grew up as a charismatic Assemblies of God, Nazarene, Baptist, Non-denominational Christian.
I suppose that this type of bouncing around should have caused a spiritual schizophrenia in my young mind, but on the contrary, I believe that God ordained this eclectic path to bring me a more holistic picture of His Kingdom and His purposes. I didn’t realize how I was being shaped by these vast and varied experiences at the time, but now I find that I am able to have natural and comfortable conversations about spiritual matters with nearly anyone. I believe that my journey has given me a very unique perspective and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
While my church background has been a huge aspect of my own spiritual formation, it pales in comparison to the impact my faith has had as a result of growing up with two very Godly parents. My Mom and Dad gave roots to my faith in many ways. They modeled the Christian walk and they lived (and continue to live) with integrity and purpose in all aspects of their lives. They gave me a solid foundation and I’m so thankful to have been raised and discipled by such sincere Christians.

My Church Rocks!

I'm so blessed to be a part of a church with a heart for reaching our world for Christ. I believe we're standing on the edge of some incredible and life-changing times here at "the Creek" and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us! I'm honored to be a small part of the adventure.

Things to say before you die

Two nights ago I was ordained in a very touching ceremony at NorthEast Christian Church in Lexington, KY. My wife (and best friend) Ashley organized most of the service and I sat on the front row in a kind of "awe and wonder"at what was happening around me. I realized just how blessed I am to be surrounded by such loving and supportive friends and family members and how blessed I was to hear their kind words. I also realized that most the time, we tend to reserve our kindest words for a person to be used at their funeral to memorialize them. I don't don't want to do that. I don't want anyone close to me to go into eternity not knowing how I feel about them. I don't want to speak my most loving words to a casket. I challenge you to do the same. If you have something encouraging to say to someone you love...say it!!! Don't wait for tomorrow and definitely don't wait to use it in a eulogy. Life is short enough as it is and when you speak life to someone whom you love, you'll never know the positive impact you're having.

I give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended this ceremony and shared this moment with my family and me. I will always treasure your friendship and your encouraging words. I'm a blessed man!

Stillness

This is a funny video that illustrates a profound spiritual truth. We live in a fast-paced world where the temptation is to run ourselves to death and never pausing long enough for any type of reflection. Basically, we don't give God a chance to speak to us.

I've been waking up with our baby boy Connor around 5:00 am for his early morning feeding. At first, I would stomp out of bed and begrudgingly carry out this chore, but I've recently recognized this daily ritual for what it really is-a gift from God. These brief moments of solitute with only my son, my heavenly father and the chirping crickets on the other side of my window in the stillness of the dark morning have become sacred to me. I'm so thankful for the gift of stillness and for powerful ways that God can move when we slow down enough to give him the opportunity to do so.

In the chaos of your hectic life today, take the town to slow down to be with God. You'll be amazed at how much you can learn from silence. I'll probably revert back to my lazy ways of sleeping in once the boys are older, but for now, I'm cherishing this beautiful window of time with by son and my God.

Intellectual Inbreeding

I'm from Kentucky, so I've heard inbreeding jokes for most of my life. I suppose there is some truth to the humor (as there usually is with humor) because there are definitely some places in the backwoods of Eastern KY where the folks definitely do have a unique look to them. Ah, I can almost hear the banjo music playing in the background as I think about it.

Don't worry...this blog post isn't about physical inbreeding. This post is about something far more pervasive and insidious-especially within the church. I'm referring to what I like to call "intellectual inbreeding". We've all seen this and probably even been a part of it, but if you're like me, you were too close to the "inside" to step back and realize what was really going on. Let me explain...

I've found that the longer I'm in "Church World", the more narrow-minded I seem to become. I'm surrounded on all sides by church language, church people, church doctrine, church music, church food, etc. Even when I branch out and go to other churches, it is usually more of the same. There are a few elite scholars and practitioners who pump out the latest books or sermon series topics and the rest of us gobble it up, repackage it and regurgitate it to our own churches. Most people in ministry all read the same books by the same few authors and try to extrapolate their own tiny bit of uniqueness to add to the dialogue, but it is difficult.

Our output cannot exceed our input and most pastors simply don't take in enough fresh information. Most pastors have no idea what is happening in the culture (some of them have a good idea about what was happening in the culture when they were in high school, but they've haven't kept track ever since, so all of their "cultural" sermon references deal with stuff that happened decades ago. For the most part, we're basically missing the boat when it comes to reaching the culture in a genuine and relevant way. Most "outsiders" simply don't see how church or God is at all relevant to their day-to-day lives, and frankly, I can't blame for that perception. We within the church have committed the great sin of boring people with the Gospel. We have had a sense of entitlement that people should just show up and happily be spoon-fed the stale leftovers that we feed them every Sunday. We must to better. We are called to do better.

There should be nothing mediocre or stale about any presentation of God's Truth. To the outside world, we probably look like a bunch of cross-eyed, intellectual inbreds, but we are called to so much more. We should invest in people outside our churches, we should become experts on the topics that matter most to our neighbors, we should create opportunities to show the world the love of Christ, we should be shaping culture, challenging the status quo, fighting on the front lines of governmental, educational and cultural wars, but we should do so balancing boldness with gentleness and respect realizing that we ourselves are only saved by Grace and it is our job to carry that Grace to a fallen and broken world.

I've got a very long way to go myself on getting where I know God wants me to be, but on a positive note, I'm very blessed to be a part of a church that is living out the Great Commission and reaching the culture in dynamic and life-transforming ways. www.stevenscreek.net

Paul sings Nessun Dorma high quality video/sound

The best stories are the ones that are completely unscripted. God loves underdogs and so do I! Check out this real-life video from our friends across the pond and get ready to cheer.

Finding Freedom in Community

Check out this video Wes Hennings put together for the sermom on "Finding Freedom" last week. It was fun to make!

New Pictures of the Boys!

Hey everybody. Sorry it has taken me so long to get new pictures of the boys out to you. Our digital camera is broken and I'm too cheap to replace it! The boys are growing up way too fast, but we're enjoying every second with them. Kids are such a gift (even when they wake you up in the middle of the night). Cooper and Connor are both doing great and I hope that we get to see all of you in person very soon. Until then, enjoy these pics. You can see some additional pics at: http://www.myspace.com/adavidwillis

Heaven and Hell on Earth

I was watching Angelina Jolie speak about the plight of refugees around the world last night on CNN, and I was awestruck not only by the unimagineable conditions that millions around the world endure, but also by the fact that this movie star has used her influence to selflessly bring millions of marginalized people from the shadows into the spotlight. We live in a world where children are being raped, enslaved, tortured, orphaned, and getting their limbs hacked off by evil people (see above picture). All the while, the Church has been largely silent in answering their cries. Here is one woman whom many in the church condemn for having children out of wedlock or being "weird" while her life is doing more to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth than most entire churches are doing.

While too many Christians spend their time and energy arguing over minor doctrinal or cultural issues, children are dying and innocence is being shattered. I'm not trying to preach at anybody, because I know that there is much more that I could be doing, but I do believe that we will all have to give an account for all we didn't do with our one and only life here on this earth. Sure Angelina needs Jesus. Sure she should get married, I mean, I would even marry Brad Pitt (note: I'm completely straight). Of course she's weird (we all are), but I think that the Church has as much to learn from her as she has to learn from the Church. She's giving her wealth, influence and time to the poorest of the poor. She's doing the work of Jesus even though she might not know Him at all. How much more should we be doing as Christ Followers?

I know that we all have limitations and we say things like, "...well if I had millions of dollars, I'd help all kinds of people too, but I'm just one person. What difference could I make?" It's been said that to the world, you might be just one person, but to just one person, you might be the world. I think that might be a country song. The point is, all of us can help someone. Ashley and I are proud sponsors of a little girl through Compassion International. For $32 per month, she is provided food, education, medical help and she is told that God loves her and has a plan for her life. This organization is one of the most reputable non-profit organizations in the world, and if you're interested in making a real, life-changing impact for one child, log onto www.compassion.com and make it happen!

The Cost of Freedom

I have a friend named Adam Bellinger who just shipped off to Iraq last week. He's leaving behind a beautfiul little girl named Natalie who is Cooper's age. I was having lunch with both of them just days before he was shipping out and I was so humbled by the sacrafice he was preparing to make to ensure Freedom for little Natalie and for the rest of us as well. Living in a military town for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm on the set of the show "Heroes", because modern-day, real-life heroes who are prepared to give their lives to protect our way of life surround me. Thanks to you all!

This picture is of a young man named Christian Golzinski who is accepting the flag at his father's funeral. His father (Staff Sergeant Golzinski) had volunteered for a second tour of duty and was killed only two weeks before he was to come home. In a recent letter to his family he wrote, "sometimes we have to fight, and even die, so that our families won't have to". This picture moved me so deeply as I studied the flurry of mixed emotions on this young man's face when he was handed the flag and the load of carrying on his father's legacy here on earth.

We as Christ-followers are handed a very similar responsibility to that of young "Christian". Jesus died so that we could live in freedom, and as He empowers us through His Spirit, we are to carry out that legacy of freedom and grace here on earth. We all feel unworthy and incapable to do this, but He gives us the grace and strength to do it one day at a time.

Did Jesus turn the water to Wine or was it juice?

Wedding season is upon us which always seem to bring up the issue (in some churches) of the nature of Jesus' first miracle since it took place at a wedding. For some reason, this issue of whether or not Jesus made "real" wine has been one of great contention within the American church. Many Christians will spend more time and energy arguing this than nearly any other cultural issue, so as a pastor, I feel it is my obligation to humbly post my personal commentary (See John 2:1-11 to decide for yourself)...

I've been to many weddings in my life and I've learned that it's really all about the reception. The silent cultural code of ethics states that I will buy a gift, put on a suit, give you a Saturday of my life and sit through typically dry service all to be able to celebrate with you at the reception. The wedding ceremony itself is for the bride, but the reception is for everybody else. That's why we kind of feel cheated when we go through the whole process and then the reception is a lame collection of bad music, stale finger foods, dry cake and warm punch. A wedding reception should be the biggest party on earth, because it's the closest thing we have in this life of the wedding ceremony for the ages we will experience someday when the Bride of Christ (the church) will be joined with Jesus in a perfect union forever.

Jesus knew the significance of a wedding and He realized that it needed to be an all-out celebration. Now comes the question about the "real" wine. Let me put it this way, of all the wedding receptions I've ever been to, I've NEVER been to one where anybody freaked out because they ran out of juice! Personally, it seems very obvious to me from reading the text and looking at the cultural circumstances to see that it wasn't only real wine, but it was excellent wine! Excellence honors God and I don't think we serve a God who "waters down" His miracles. You could dump a bunch of Kool-Aid mix into a pitcher of water and make instant juice, but the miracle comes when a process that by its very nature takes a long time (fermentation) is done instantly.

The real problem with this issue honestly has little to do with the alcohol content of the miracle, but it has everything to do with the dangers of reading ANY particular agenda into the Biblical text. We should all be open enough to let the Truth of God's word speak for itself instead of trying to squeeze God in a box formed from our own cultural leanings, personal experiences and limited worldviews. God is so much bigger than that and we must fight the temptation to brush any complicated issue in the Bible under the rug just to avoid the tension or debate it might bring up.

Paul wrote in the New Testament that as Christians, "all things are permissable for us but not all things are beneficial." In other words, we have unlimited rights, but we must also be willing to lay down those rights to help us reach others. I see absolutely no moral or Biblical objection to moderate alcohol consumption, but if abstaining from drinking can help to keep weaker Christians from stumbling, then it's worth it not to drink. My frustration is when those "weaker Christians" are the modern-day Pharisees who point a judgmental finger at anybody who interprets God's word in a way that is different from their own interpretations.

I look forward to reading your comments on either side of the issue. Thanks.

Update on the boys

Many of you have asked about how Ashley and the boys are doing and we greatly appreciate your prayers and concerns. Ashley is my hero! She is so good with Cooper and Connor (and me). She's an angel. Cooper is definitely in the "Terrible Twos" which is making for some great sermon material, but he can be a handful at times. Luckily, I can still take him, because he's very small for his age. He just had his two-year checkup and he's in the fifth percentile which means he's shorter than 95% of boys his age. On the growth chart, he's projected to end up somewhere between a Hobbit and a Leprechaun (approx. 1-2 inches shorter than me). I'm hoping that he's taller than that so that he'll be able to see over the steering wheel someday, but God makes us all just how we're supposed to be, so I'll leave that up to Him. Both Cooper and Connor are adorable and I'll try to get some good digital pictures to post to the blog soon so you check them out. Ashley is as hot and sweet as ever. I definitely married up!

If you want something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done!

I am offically joining the "Blog Nation". The timing is about right, because I tend to lag around ten years behind most of pop culture in terms of fashion and technology (I just got a new portable CD player and it's totally rad!). I'll probably be the lame guy who still has a PC and a dial-up connection when the rest of the world is surfing the web with their Macs, but I'm officially turning over a new leaf! I'm stepping into the 21st century (eight years late) and I'm starting a blog. I hope that this creative exercise will keep me sharp and fresh while also bringing smiles and new insights to my countless readers (thanks to both of you)! Please enjoy my rants, raves and ramblings on faith, fatherhood and free time. I look forward to reading your comments.